Below are some of the questions / discussions I have received via Facebook and other social networking sites. I am sharing this with you and will continue to add content as I go. Please feel free to ask questions here as well. I promise that all questions asked on other sites that are copied here will be anonymous. Responses that are more recent on top.
There is a seperate FAQ that will help in finding answers to specific questions. You can always ask me more questions if you do not see an answer to what you are looking for.
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H writes on October 8 at 5:37pm
You look amazing Andrea! Sexy b 
How did u lose the weight? I’m always fluctuating, and need help…please share!
Andrea Baker October 18 at 5:45pm
Thank you. I have been working hard on my new body. Around 110lbs lost in total. I had a gastric bypass 10 months ago yesterday. I am planning on going back and writing a short book about my transformation with my tips that should work outside of the surgery. The biggest tip is eating local and organic with portioning. I eat 6-8 times a day. when I am hungry I eat. But I only eat a little bit and I eat as fresh and non-processed as possible.
I will be glad to help.
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K writes on October 6 at 7:31am:
You look fantastic, and great, to say the least. How the hell did you do it so fast? I think I saw you in the early part of 2010 and you lost a lot then, now you’re a twig. LOL
I’ve been bouncing back and fourth and want to loose 15lbs, and my old diet is great, but you probably have some awesome tips.
Much love!
Andrea Baker October 7 at 2:00am
Oh I eat as much as I can, but with the bypass, I lose about 10lbs a month. 15 more lbs and I will be what I weighed at my senior prom.
I worked out hard core playing tennis and walking and going to the gym in the spring and summer. Now I need to tone up and gain some back in muscle. But I am so happy where I am now, I could stay here and be happy.
A lot of people have asked for my tips, so once I can I want to blog them and share my experiences. Main thing is eating fresh, when I do that, I feel good and have energy. I cook healthy with spices and just a lil bit of olive oil. Truvia is a must and I drink tea to stay hydrated. G2 watered down is another way to get in the fluids. Really focus on proteins and organic foods. Growing our own garden was very beneficial to us this summer and now our fall harvest is coming in. Next summer we expect to have a garden 4x as big as we did this year. Homegrown food is more nutritious and fills you up faster. Making a small portion plate and taking 30 minutes to eat without drinking helps make you feel full faster.
Just some of the many tips.
Thanks for your compliments and support. I am almost 10months from surgery and already within goal. Super stoked.
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N writes on August 17 at 4:41pm
Hey Andrea, I think I’m pretty much done with being picked on, made fun of etc. My doctor hasn’t exactly been helpful either. When I saw her last Wednesday, she was happy about the 6 pounds that I’d lost over the curse of close to 2 months. She also told me that I can take Miralax daily for however long I need to and I’m not quite sure that’s true–especially since it is only recommended for u to 7 days. I refuse to take prescription diet pills as well. I don’t need to mess up my body any more than I have.
Up until restaurant week, I’d been following a strict nutrition plan since May. I’m really only cheating a little as I am still keeping tabs on my daily caloric intake. The exercise isn’t helping either. Apparently, I have no thyroid or other hormonal reason for having gained close to 100 lbs in 1 1/2 years.
My question is, do I have to go through my physician in order to consider gastric bypass? I’m super sensitive, and I think I might completely disappear from society if I get made fun of again like I just did. It is humiliating. Would you mind giving me the contact information for your doctor perhaps? I need to make a drastic change otherwise I’m not going to be able to function properly and I’ll completely withdraw from the public. Also, where can I find information on what physical conditions qualify for insurance help with bariatric surgery? I’ve looked on the internet but have been unsuccessful in my searches. I appreciate you taking the time to help me in my struggle. Thanks so much.
Andrea Baker August 17 at 4:51pm
I responded with my number so we could have a lengthy conversation. I also recommend if you are feeling the same way and you are reading this, to reach out. I will call you or meet you and we can discuss things very frankly.
My surgeon, Dr. Brian Boe Barix Clinics http://www.barixclinics.com/
Below is a more detailed answer and some of what I spoke to on the phone:
To be honest, the reason I picked this surgeon is because this is the same place where a member of my family had received their surgery and with tremendous success. The operation was covered by insurance (Carefirst) and my out of pocket expenses were co-pays, psychatric evaluation, and prescriptions. Barix has insurance experts, they do most of the leg-work for you. It took me 6 months of nutritional counciling to pre-qualify along with getting referrals of my medical conditions that were contributing to my problems with obesity. I have osteo-arthritis in both knees, asthma, and other injuries. It makes it real hard to work out when you are always hurt, so its even harder to lose weight on dieting alone. I knew I had to make a big decision to change my lifestyle, so the bypass seemed to be the best choice for me. If I had to do it again, I would.
There are a lot of things they don’t tell you before the surgery and I wish they had. There are some unpleasant side effects, but I have gotten used to them. My boyfriend on the other hand is a saint for putting up with me. You do become more gassy post-surgery. I get bloated when I fly and if you eat something with a higher fat or sugar content, you can expect results in your GI tract to follow. Usually about 15-30 minutes later for me. When I am full I hiccup, but I have learned the sensation and eyeballing the size of my food to know in advance of that hiccup when I should be full. Sometimes, if I am thinking I am full I will hold back and continue eating a little more 15-30 minutes later. I try to eat 6-8 times a day. Something as small as a banana or a grande latte from Starbucks can be a meal. Other times its a sandwich with a few chips with thin bread. My meals are kid sized, not kid style.